


Dreams Mended

by LetoaSai



Series: StrifeHart Fluff [45]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Child Cloud, I guess we adopted you, M/M, Nightmares, Prequel, Protective Big Brother, a little sad but a happy end, fears, new home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25044898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/pseuds/LetoaSai
Summary: After losing his mom and running away with his little brother, Cloud hadn't expected to find new people who were stepping up to be his parents.
Relationships: Cid Highwind/Vincent Valentine
Series: StrifeHart Fluff [45]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1108581
Comments: 29
Kudos: 105





	Dreams Mended

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any Final Fantasy. 
> 
> Prequel to the entire series i guess. Taking it back to when Cloud was a child.

Cloud woke with a gasp, his head slamming against the metal siding. He jerked back with a cry and rolled right off his bed. The stupid thing was too small! Still on the cusps of a nightmare, Cloud gripped his hair in one hand and covered his mouth with the other. 

On the bunk above him Denzel rolled over but hadn’t woken up. They’d been on the airship for about a year now and he still wasn’t used to it. The hallways were small, the engine room was hot, the beds were stupid! 

Cloud slipped from the room before his whimpering woke his little brother. He was supposed to be brave and the last thing he wanted was for Denzel to see him crying. He sat in the hallway, nauseous, head hurting and only able to think about his stupid nightmare. 

He hated hospitals. He hated doctors. He hated adults. He hated that his mom had to die. She’d been so sick and only lasted so long because she wanted to be there for him and Denzel. She’d been covered in so many black geostigma sores and had been so miserable. He saw her expression in his dreams. That tight smile that said she so badly wished she could get well for them. 

That expression made him choke. The dreams always cracked something inside of him. Broke something. He wanted to go home but there was no home left. 

Cloud buried his face against his knees, shoulders shaking from suppressed tears. He just wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep past these feelings and wake up numb to them again. 

He felt the light turbulence the airship ran into and could faintly feel the hum of the engines vibrating the floor. This ship, this stupid ship was all that kept them out of foster care. It was all that kept that scary looking lady from taking his brother away. 

That lady visited his nightmares too. She would stand by his mother's deathbed, unseen by her in her dying days. The lady would stare down at him and Denzel like a buzzard waiting for their mother to die before dashing in to scoop up the children. 

Cloud hiccuped, trying in vain to stop crying but the nightmare wouldn’t stop replaying every time he closed his eyes and now his head hurt. Maybe he’d bashed it harder than he thought. What did he do if he was hurt? Who did he tell? Would anyone even give a damn? 

He and Denzel had been stowaways from the start. It was the captain rolling his eyes and saying they could stay if they could work that kept them on board. No one was actually responsible for them. Well, he was responsible for Denzel but that was different. 

He hiccuped again and used the wall to climb back to his feet. He just.. wanted… 

Cloud wandered through the halls, swallowing and swallowing and swallowing and _not_ crying for real. He inhaled shakily and each exhale remained choppy because he was _fine_. 

He didn’t know what time it was, but it had to be late, or early morning. He didn’t hear the scurrying of people working throughout the day. The airship was more hovering then soaring which meant Cid wasn’t up yet for the day. He liked taking the first shift and watch the sun rise from the pilot's seat. 

He didn’t think Cid would care but he didn’t know what else to do. His head hurt, that was all. 

Over the last year he’d learned all the twists and turns in the airship and took his time getting to Captains quarters. Cid didn’t treat himself any different from his crew and the only reason he had nice quarters was because it housed two men instead of one. 

Cloud knocked on the door, the thought of dreaming any more tonight putting him in a bad place. He didn’t want to see his mama like that anymore. He hated that he was starting to remember her better sick than he did of her well. He was tired. He just wanted…

He didn’t know what normal thirteen year-olds were doing but he doubted very much they were on the run with their little brothers, hiding out on an airship. 

He knocked. 

He knocked. 

He kept knocking. 

He hiccuped, his mouth wobbling. He wasn’t supposed to be like this anymore. He was supposed to be over it. He was supposed to be better. 

Cloud could hear the grumbling from the inside the room. Could hear the stomping over to the door but he just kept knocking, he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t close his eyes to sleep again and he didn’t know how to make the pain go away.

“This better be fucking impor-” Cid’s growl cut off when he saw Cloud. He looked down at the kid, already knowing something was wrong. “What’s wrong with you?” 

Cloud hiccuped again, trying to hold his breath to keep from crying but a sob broke free anyway. 

“Awe hell.” Cid muttered, sounding like he was just as much at a loss as Cloud was. “What’s wrong with you?” he repeated.

The dam on Cloud’s emotions broke and the tears really started. Standing in the doorway to the Captain’s room he bawled. 

He felt hands on his head, gentle fingers brushing against the goose egg. “How’d you get that? Kid, quit your crying.” 

Cloud couldn’t take in the air he needed to speak, so he just cried instead. He didn’t know what to do and didn’t even try to move. He couldn't explain and he knew Cid hated that. Cid liked people to take care of things. Cloud couldn't even take care of himself.

Cid heaved a sigh and lifted Cloud up under his arms to pick him up. The boy was too old for that, but Cid spent large parts of his day moving around heavy things and Cloud was nothing, just a small boy. 

Cloud octopussed around him, holding on as Cid brought him back into his room. His expectations had already been exceeded by not simply being sent back to bed. 

“Quit your blubbering.” Cid said, but it was counteracted by rubbing circles on Cloud’s back. “It ain’t all that bad.” 

It took several tries but Cloud finally got words out. Not about his nightmare, not about knocking his head, but the words he’d been thinking for a year. “I want my mom!” 

Cid sounded like he had the air punched out of him but he collapsed back in a thick chair with Cloud still laid out against his chest. “Yeah. Yeah kid, i know you do.” 

“I..I…just…” 

“Quit you’re crying.” Cid said, adjusting Cloud so his head was nuzzled under Cid’s chin. “You’re alright. Denzel is fine too. Ain’t nobody taking you away.” 

Cloud just cried, the words easing so much stress in him. He curled up against Cid, laying limp while the captain rocked him. So often he was afraid they’d get kicked off the ship at the whim of the captain. His biggest fear was someone taking Denzel away. 

“Here.” Valentine’s voice was soft as he placed a cold, damp washcloth over the bump on his head. It had him spiraling into all new tears. He hadn’t realized Valentine was in the room too but.. Of course he was. It was also his room after all.

He’d been so afraid of Vincent Valentine when he’d first arrived. The crew whispered about him all the time and they all seemed to have some kind of combination of fear and respect in regards to him. Apparently whatever his occupation was before had been enough to inspire scary rumors. 

Vincent had always been kind to him though. He’d been the one to tell Cloud to ask Cid for jobs to keep him around. 

“Ow..” 

“I know it hurts.” Valentine said softly, “Rest your head. Lucky it doesn’t look like a concussion. Did you knock it getting out of bed?” 

Cloud just nodded, soft crying against Cid’s throat still. 

Cid grunted. “Done that a dozen times or so.” 

“You’re hard headed.” Valentine said, amusement laced in his voice. 

Cid made a gesture at him Cloud couldn’t see. “What were you getting out of bed for anyway?” 

Cloud sniffed, “...Bad dream…”

“Yeah, those are the worst.” Cid muttered after a short pause. 

Valentine moved away from them for a moment, only to return with a blanket he draped over the pair of them. Cloud hadn’t gotten up the nerve yet to ask if he could stay with them a little longer but it seemed the decision was made for him. He was relieved he didn’t have to ask. He wasn’t ready to let go. 

“I’ll go get Denzel. Poor thing would probably have a scare waking up later without Cloud there.” Valentine said. He lingered around the room, putting his shoes on Cloud realized before slipping almost soundlessly from the room. 

Cid heaved a sigh once he was gone and adjusted Cloud to cradle against Cid’s chest. “You’re alright now. I got you.” 

It was so strangely… reassuring. He hadn’t been held in a long time. The captain was a gruff, loud man who didn’t have a lot of patience but he was nice sometimes too. He made sure both boys ate every day. He’d given them they’re own room to share. They got hand-me-down clothes from the crew that were altered to fit them better. Cid had even teased about teaching Cloud to be a pilot and he wanted to learn, he really did.

He hadn’t imagined Cid just holding him like this but suddenly he realized it had been what he wanted. He was afraid of Cid kicking him off the ship. 

Cloud sniffed again, new tears threatening but Cid just ruffled his hair again. 

“It’s okay.” Cid repeated.”I got you, kid. You can relax.” 

Cid said everything was okay. Cloud wanted to believe him.

He was afraid to go back to sleep. The last thing he wanted was to find himself back in that hospital again. He never got to dream of being home a fraction of the amount of times he dreamed about that hospital. 

“I just...I’m sorry.” Cloud whispered, not sure what he was actually apologizing for. It could have been for waking them up or it could have been for being a monster of a child around the ship. It could have been for so many things but he couldn’t seem to form for words. 

“Shit, kid. I don’t want an apology. You’re just a kid with too much on your shoulders.” Cid grumbled. “You got too much responsibility on you looking after that brother of yours on your own.”

“But..” 

“No. You’re a kid. Being a brat should come natural to you. That’s how it should be.” Cid said, patting Cloud’s back. “Stop worrying about little things.” 

Cloud didn’t know how to stop worrying. He worried about so much… Would he ever be enough after he stopped going to school and started running from the state? Would he have to hide forever? He didn’t want that. Not for himself and certainly not for Denzel. 

So often he wondered if he’d made that right choice. Running kept them together and sticking with social services didn’t guarantee that. It was complicated and he had hardly understood all the rules. 

“Can i stay here?” Cloud mumbled, half way asleep already in the warmth and comfort Cid gave off. For once he felt protected.

“Yeah.” Cid answered easily, no conditions tacked on. 

It was...Cloud didn’t know what it was but he clung a little harder, eyes closed and he was able to forget about the lady entirely. His mom had always claimed she could chase bad dreams away. He had to wonder now if Cid was the same. 

He was almost asleep when Vincent returned to the room.Cloud cracked an eye open just to make sure everything was okay. Denzel was curled up in his arms inside a mess of blankets. Safe, they were both okay. 

“He asleep?” Vincent whispered. 

“Nearly.” Cid said, still patting his back. “Dunno how this happened.” 

“I don’t quite know either but it’s nice.” Vincent commented, voice barley over a whisper. “You look nice, sitting there comforting a child.” 

Cid scoffed. “Yeah, uh huh.” 

“You do.” Vincent smiled, sitting on their bed with Denzel still asleep against him. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it more often. You could used a son or two.” 

“Now don’t you start.” Cid grumbled.

Cloud was nearly asleep, but he latched onto the idea. Was he allowed to be Cid son? Would he keep Denzel too? Surely he wouldn’t kick his sons off his ship. That meant they would stay as long as they wanted.

Cid would probably make for a good dad. 

Cloud fidgeted a little and Cid just adjusted him again. “Shh. No reason to be awake at this hour.” 

He was probably right. Already it was so hard to keep his eyes open. Cid didn’t seem to have a problem with it. It was okay if he feel asleep right there. Against Cid. 

This might even be home. After all, it had been a year in the air. It was nice a lot of the time. 

Yeah, Cid would make a good dad and guard against the stupid nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> Series Master List. In order. Mostly. 
> 
> Dreams Mended  
> Out of Order  
> A Winning Distraction (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Quiet Midnight (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Radiant Christmas (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> Successful Romance (in the middle of Out of Order)  
> First Dance  
> Until Monday  
> Repeat  
> Not enough treats  
> Wager  
> Calling Home (technically just before and just after Wager)  
> Renewals   
> Date Night  
> Sick Lions  
> Bad Memories  
> Not Perfect (could really fit in a few places, here is fine)  
> Patience  
> Long Weekends  
> Fever  
> Melee  
> Time will Tell  
> Rumble  
> Fortitude  
> A Day for Two  
> Summer Sun  
> Homemade  
> Moving on  
> Probably Haunted  
> The Night Before: by Kutikue  
> It’s only two more  
> Safeguard  
> Finding Sleep  
> Wishes  
> Lights out  
> Professional Aid  
> Hope: by Jokul_Nightfury_Frost  
> Match  
> Foresight  
> Surrounded by Kindness  
> Connected  
> Christmas Wisdom   
> On the Eve  
> Face Time  
> Errands   
> Facing Fears


End file.
